Hello there, I am new here and couldn't think of anywhere better to ask this question.
Here is my story...
I have 2 silkie girls, Sheila and Gladsy, that live in a large run/compound with my duck Fifi.
They each have their own areas, with house and run; Fifi even has her own duck pond.
They live in a large secure cover run, so they can come and go as they please and meet up in the middle and they have lived together happily for a while.
Here is some background...
The girls, Sheila and Gladsy were with me first, they have a rather nice chicken pen with a run attached and doesnt mind Rex visiting at all (oh, Rex is my pug). Then Fifi arrived..
Fifi, I knew was coming after a friend called and asked if there was a chance I could take her as no way she could go back to where she came from, and she knew my girlies were very friendly girls. So my husband got to building a run for her and her own pond. Fifi arrived in the summer a coupl of years ago settled in great, but she loved coming out when my girls came out and would often follow them back into their run to be with them. So my husband got to work again and built the larger run (The compound as we call it) that also covered Fifis pond and the girls house and run and the girls were all now together.
Fifi has an open house she can come and go in as she pleases, she was a rescue duck after she was attack by a dog and now has a missing wing. She is very pleasant. The girls still have their house and run as they have auto wake up and auto go to bed door; Fifi in a morning can be found often in her pond will jump up on the short wall when she sees the girls come out of their run after their breakfast enjoy time coming out to be with Fifi to scratch around.
Fifi frets when the foxes come around (she is very secure and perfectly safe) but doesn't mind Rex coming in when I go in to them. The girls dont go in Fifis area or near her pond, and Fifi no longer goes in the girls run, and when they are fed up with eachother they wander off and go to their own areas.
Now.... I have been asked to take in a rabbit Darcy, she is a large'ish rabbit, very friendly, Rex has met her a few times and gets on well with her. Darcys owners have a toddler that has developed an allergy to her. They do not what to put her on an advertising page to sell her. She had a big run at her house and would come out and be part of the family, but is use to sleeping outside. However, she didnt have any other animals friends. So my question is...
Could Darcy possibly live in the run/compound? Which she would share with the girls??
Could I have built a separate area completely to keep Darcy?
Yes. But I dont want too. The girlies have a special area built for them, I have a hidden storage shed just for the food, bedding, etc at hand, instant water, hot and cold for drinks and cleaning and eletricity via solar panels, it is also gated off so they can come out of the run/compound in the summer when I am in the garden and enjoy purpose planted flowers, grass, etc which leads to my ornamental fish pond, it is funny in the summer to see Fifi sitting in the middle of it on a stepping stone. It is also, all fenced off with low voltage eletric fencing, special hinged auto close gates which have push button to stop the children being able to open it. The children and Rex and the girls, know not to touch the fence. To be honest it doesnt hurt if your expecting it, it is just to shock the heron getting to the fish pond and foxes from getting to close to the compound at dusk when the girls are still outside.
So what are the chances my kind, mild mannered, friendly girls will except a placid, easy going rabbit, which is about the same size as my pug Rex?
I would love to hear your views especially if you have a similar set up. Hints and tips of ridding the damn fox is also very welcomed.
Thank you for reading, Kat.
Here is my story...
I have 2 silkie girls, Sheila and Gladsy, that live in a large run/compound with my duck Fifi.
They each have their own areas, with house and run; Fifi even has her own duck pond.
They live in a large secure cover run, so they can come and go as they please and meet up in the middle and they have lived together happily for a while.
Here is some background...
The girls, Sheila and Gladsy were with me first, they have a rather nice chicken pen with a run attached and doesnt mind Rex visiting at all (oh, Rex is my pug). Then Fifi arrived..
Fifi, I knew was coming after a friend called and asked if there was a chance I could take her as no way she could go back to where she came from, and she knew my girlies were very friendly girls. So my husband got to building a run for her and her own pond. Fifi arrived in the summer a coupl of years ago settled in great, but she loved coming out when my girls came out and would often follow them back into their run to be with them. So my husband got to work again and built the larger run (The compound as we call it) that also covered Fifis pond and the girls house and run and the girls were all now together.
Fifi has an open house she can come and go in as she pleases, she was a rescue duck after she was attack by a dog and now has a missing wing. She is very pleasant. The girls still have their house and run as they have auto wake up and auto go to bed door; Fifi in a morning can be found often in her pond will jump up on the short wall when she sees the girls come out of their run after their breakfast enjoy time coming out to be with Fifi to scratch around.
Fifi frets when the foxes come around (she is very secure and perfectly safe) but doesn't mind Rex coming in when I go in to them. The girls dont go in Fifis area or near her pond, and Fifi no longer goes in the girls run, and when they are fed up with eachother they wander off and go to their own areas.
Now.... I have been asked to take in a rabbit Darcy, she is a large'ish rabbit, very friendly, Rex has met her a few times and gets on well with her. Darcys owners have a toddler that has developed an allergy to her. They do not what to put her on an advertising page to sell her. She had a big run at her house and would come out and be part of the family, but is use to sleeping outside. However, she didnt have any other animals friends. So my question is...
Could Darcy possibly live in the run/compound? Which she would share with the girls??
Could I have built a separate area completely to keep Darcy?
Yes. But I dont want too. The girlies have a special area built for them, I have a hidden storage shed just for the food, bedding, etc at hand, instant water, hot and cold for drinks and cleaning and eletricity via solar panels, it is also gated off so they can come out of the run/compound in the summer when I am in the garden and enjoy purpose planted flowers, grass, etc which leads to my ornamental fish pond, it is funny in the summer to see Fifi sitting in the middle of it on a stepping stone. It is also, all fenced off with low voltage eletric fencing, special hinged auto close gates which have push button to stop the children being able to open it. The children and Rex and the girls, know not to touch the fence. To be honest it doesnt hurt if your expecting it, it is just to shock the heron getting to the fish pond and foxes from getting to close to the compound at dusk when the girls are still outside.
So what are the chances my kind, mild mannered, friendly girls will except a placid, easy going rabbit, which is about the same size as my pug Rex?
I would love to hear your views especially if you have a similar set up. Hints and tips of ridding the damn fox is also very welcomed.
Thank you for reading, Kat.
